Interview with Ched Montoril, Senior Software Architect at FINCAD.
Chedwick Montoril
Nat: Please tell us about yourself and what you do at Fincad.
Ched: “Well, not sure if the bio is limited to my professional life, so, I have a degree in Computer Science, and major in Mathematics, I work in the fintech industry designing and implementing softwares that help banks and other financial institutions manage risks (trades, transactions etc).”
Nat: Which computer languages do you use?
Ched: “I’ve used several computer languages in the past 35 years 🙂 I am not that old. I just started programming when I was 9 years old. Complementing my bio here — my first language was BASIC that I used to create programs for the MSX 4Mhz 8bits computer, then moved to Assembly when I was 12, BASIC was/is too slow 😀 It was an amazing time that paid off a lot because, nowadays, not many people are exposed to the true hardware and low level languages — I believe you know what I am talking about when it comes to Robotics and Mechatronics.
After moving to an IBM PC 386 33Mhz 32bits then I started learning C and then C++. Not much after that I was making money creating small programs and using the knowledge I acquired as a kid. When I got my first full time job I had to use a higher level language, so, Java was the thing in 1998 and I was again learning another language.
All in all, that was the last time I was required to develop software using a single language only, and very fast I added to my skill set: Macromedia Flash, PHP, JavaScript, Scala, and Python. To be honest, languages are not the most important requirement for software development, currently, with Cloud and other technologies, problem solving, designing, data structures and algorithms are the foundation necessary for good software development.“
Nat: Are you passionate about what you do?
Ched: “YES! Very much. I cannot imagine someone who isn’t passionate, being happy and successful in this field. It demands a lot from oneself: continuous education, self motivation, and patience 😀“
Nat: Do you have any tips for someone starting to learn to code?
Ched: “Yes, one that I still use nowadays. Doesn’t matter the language, the technology or the level of confidence one might have. Choose a simple project, small in scope and complexity. The point is to finish it, and learn with the experience of doing something hands on. After that, if needed, keep polishing and adding one new feature/requirement until the goal of learning that technology is achieved.“
Nat: Do you have any advice to parents about kids and technology?
Ched: “I really do have some advice. Some are controversial, others not so much, but let me share a basic one: introduce technology to your kids as soon as possible. It doesn’t mean giving a cellphone to a 5 years old or unrestricted access to tablets and smart devices. It means the parents and their kids should engage in learning technology together. There are several safe ways to do that and bridge the gap between the previous and current generations. The most important point is that computers aren’t appliances! They are a language as English, Chinese or any other language. It has its own terms and vocabulary, and the later one starts learning the harder it gets.“